I've been listening to the 5th - DG version with Carlos Kleiber and the VPO. Supposedly a highly regarded recording, at least in the past.

While the rendition is powerful, the recording for me seems a bit lacking. The dynamic range is a bit too wide - if I set the volume based on the opening, I can't hear the quieter sections - it's like dead air. Also, the music seems a bit muffled - like I can't distinguish the instruments well.

Admittedly, my ears are old. And I don't have the best system nor an ideal listening room. But other recordings (ie Four Seasons) comes across very nicely.

Any recommendations for a similarly powerful but more modern and articulate recording of the 5th? Availability on CD is a plus. Secondarily on lossless apple music.

Have Karajan’s DG from 40 years ago. My speakers are not the best suited for Classical music as the mids are AWOL.

Playing the Overture at “don’t wake up the Spousal Unit” level, i couldn’t hear what comes next either.

Guessing the Overture at “wake up the neighbors” level might let me enjoy the rest of the Symphony quietly.

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The muffled sound may be that particular recording - not all sound engineers/venues are the same.

Like Nicky above, I also have the DG-Karajan from the 1970s.


That works for me with my setup and ears, but everyone's different.

Volume can be an issue even if you go to listen in person - some passages everyone in the orchestra is going for the gusto, sometimes one instrument is playing a quiet solo. I don't know how much variation in that you'd get with different recordings but it's worth trying. I can't listen to orchestral stuff in the car as road noise masks the quiet bits.

Not that YouTube renditions have the greatest quality, just to assess relative dynamics for those passages to see what versions work best, maybe pick a couple sections you feel as being the loudest and the quietest, get the timestamps and then search YouTube for some different recordings and see how they handled those sections.

Failing that....maybe listen with good quality headphones? Those can cut outside noise, give you quick and easy volume control, and won't disturb the household if you have the volume set for the quiet parts when the orchestra cuts loose.

Used to own both the vinyl and the CD box set.

I’n reading recording dates 1977 (LPs?) and CD release 1986 for the CD. Both are withing my residence in Europe time lapse.

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Thanks guys. I'll try the Karajan rendition. Looks like the dynamic range is expected; try to see if the muffling is relieved.

van Karajan will be a very romanticized interpretation of the work, but that is appreciated by many.

I’m more of a “performance practice” guy, meaning anytime I conduct a work, I research how it would be performed during the time it was written, and I attempt to honor the composer’s intentions with my interpretation.

A stylistically-accurate recording of the Beethoven symphonies would be John Eliot Gardiner with the Orchestre Revolutionarre. They even use period instruments that are tuned below A440, which would have been standard at the time the symphony was written. Take a listen and compare to some of the more modern interpretations.

https://youtu.be/lNtb-ly1I_k?si=iOIwTMXtNK788GoX

^^^^
I really enjoyed the period correct version you linked to. Just so well done.

Here is a modern interpretation.

That’s…one way to put it…

^^^^

I couldn’t resist.

quote:

Originally posted by Maestro:
van Karajan will be a very romanticized interpretation of the work, but that is appreciated by many.

I’m more of a “performance practice” guy, meaning anytime I conduct a work, I research how it would be performed during the time it was written, and I attempt to honor the composer’s intentions with my interpretation.

A stylistically-accurate recording of the Beethoven symphonies would be John Eliot Gardiner with the Orchestre Revolutionarre. They even use period instruments that are tuned below A440, which would have been standard at the time the symphony was written. Take a listen and compare to some of the more modern interpretations.

https://youtu.be/lNtb-ly1I_k?si=iOIwTMXtNK788GoX

Very nice. Thanks for the link.

quote:

Originally posted by Maestro:
van Karajan will be a very romanticized interpretation of the work, but that is appreciated by many.

I’m more of a “performance practice” guy, meaning anytime I conduct a work, I research how it would be performed during the time it was written, and I attempt to honor the composer’s intentions with my interpretation.

A stylistically-accurate recording of the Beethoven symphonies would be John Eliot Gardiner with the Orchestre Revolutionarre. They even use period instruments that are tuned below A440, which would have been standard at the time the symphony was written. Take a listen and compare to some of the more modern interpretations.

https://youtu.be/lNtb-ly1I_k?si=iOIwTMXtNK788GoX

Thanks! I'll need to look up what "romanticized" vs period performance means.

I listened to various versions of Vivaldi's 4 Seasons. I know which versions I prefer but don't know if / how they differ from a period performance. I hope to realize those differences someday. Today, I'm just trying to get familiar with famous works from respected recordings.

Dumb question: in the YT video linked, why are so many performers standing? Especially for a symphony. Is that unusual? Or typical of period performance.

The standing was something that was done here and there in the time period.

A “romanticized” version means that van Karajan tends to use modern means to influence the interpretation versus period practice. Altering the tempo within a phrase (called rubato), dramatic tempo changes at the ends of sections or movements, using a larger orchestra than the time period, and more extreme dynamic contrasts are all elements of a romanticized interpretation.

“Romantic” is named as such due to these elements becoming part of the performance practice of the romantic period. Beethoven bridged the classical and romantic period, and in many ways set the groundwork for the symphonies of the romantic era. Beethoven’s music is often classified by musicologists as early, middle, and late. The 5th symphony is middle Beethoven, when he was starting to go deaf. Most musicologists believe that the performance practice of middle Beethoven compositions was more classical in nature rather than romantic.

If you enjoy the history of his fifth symphony, be sure to read the Heiligenstadt Testament, which he penned in 1802 as a letter to his brothers. It details how he was losing his hearing and the impact it had on his composition and overall wellbeing.


https://www.popularbeethoven.c...igenstadt-testament/

Thanks for the education. Very interesting.

Thank you indeed, Maestro.

Very enlightening and interesting information.

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